No Kneeling Allowed
by SunflowerHikari
Summary: Now that the war is over, Draco and Hermione find themselves coping with adulthood. Living with Harry, a couple of cranky witches, and a baby is proving to be more challenging than they thought. Draco just wants some privacy so they can shag. Hermione just wants some space to study and absolutely NO proposals. Sequel to No Kissing Allowed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here it is! The sequel! Let's see how Draco and Hermione's relationship pans out now that the war is over, shall we?**

**I had so much fun writing this so far. **

**Also, Happy October!**

**Love lots,**

**SunflowerHikari**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter One<strong>_

Hermione watched as Voldemort fell over and she couldn't breathe. Suddenly, the entire Great Hall erupted in cheers and she knew it was over.

It was all over.

Her first instinct was to look for him. She needed to be in his arms and be assured that everything was going to be all right again.

She saw him earlier, surprisingly not wearing a spot of black but a light grey wool sweater with a giant 'D' in emerald green on it that was knit by Mrs. Weasley. He probably wanted everyone to know which side he was on, even if that meant any type of chance of overheating.

Hermione saw everyone going over to hug Harry and she gave him a smile when he caught her eye. She knew how thrilled and relieved he must be now. She saw Ginny wrap her arms tightly around him and plant a kiss on his lips. Hermione terribly ached for the person she missed.

She hadn't seen him since summer of last year, which made everything so hard. But she knew that he understood that she had to go and help her friend. She would turn the ring on her finger that he had given to her during their sixth year to let him know she thought of him. When she would feel the warmth of the ring on her own finger, she knew he was thinking of her.

This silent communication between the two helped keep her sane.

Suddenly, she found herself letting out a breath as she spotted him in the entrance of the Great Hall.

He was breathing heavily, with hair mussed all over and a visible scratch on his face. He was looking around frantically until his eyes landed on her. She let out an audible gasp and she felt the warmth of the tears falling down her face.

Hermione tasted a mix of salt, blood, and dirt as the tears landed on her lips. She walked slowly towards him, scared that it would just be a dream.

Scared that it wasn't actually him.

She couldn't help but think of how dorky he looked, wearing that sweater and looking more filled out since she last saw him.

When he started to walk towards her, the world stopped and she could feel nothing but her heart pounding in her chest.

Walking slowly just wasn't cutting it for her anymore, so she began to walk a little faster. But that just made him seem farther away.

So Hermione took a deep breath in and began to run towards him – trying to not crash into anyone else. He started to run towards her as well and once they were in front of each other they stopped.

They faced each other – inches away – both panting heavily. Hermione's tear streaked face was visible to Draco and he could see the gold that hid in the brown of her iris. She reached her hand up to the scratch that ran down his face. Her thumb traced the dried blood and she felt the warmth of his hand as he pressed it against hers.

"I thought I told you to be careful, you idiot." She said, taking his face within her hands.

"You should see the other guy." He smirked and she felt her heart skip a beat.

His lips found hers and suddenly the Great Hall was overcome with an unsettling silence. Hermione had forgotten only a select few knew of their relationship.

Not many people were in Draco's favor after what had happened in June of last year. They had discovered that it was because of Draco's use with the Vanishing Cabinet that Snape had finished what Draco started. Snape brought in Death Eaters into Hogwarts, which later ended in the demise of Dumbledore.

Harry was the only person there besides the Death Eaters to see what had happened but he didn't talk about it to anyone and Hermione and Ron didn't want to push it.

Since Draco allegedly betrayed Voldemort, they made him out to be the enemy on both sides. He was hated not only by the Death Eaters, but many of the wizards of the Light side.

He followed Dumbledore's instructions and found refuge with the Weasley's that summer. They was definitely some tension at first, but with Hermione as the middle man everyone eventually warmed up to him.

Draco and Hermione pulled away from each other and he took her hand into his own. There were many curious faces looking at them, only a few had sneers. Draco saw the Weasley twins smiling at him – knowing full well how he had missed Hermione.

The gentle hand that was placed on his shoulder soon interrupted how awkward he felt.

"Draco?" He turned his head towards the woman he knew very well.

"Mother?" He choked before she smiled at him – nodding as tears fell down her face from the happiness she couldn't contain. He let go of Hermione's hand and pulled his mother into a hug.

"Oh my darling boy, I've missed you so." She whispered against his chest, noting how tall he had gotten since she had last seen him. Hermione smiled at the warm embrace between them and was going to give them space before Narcissa pulled away from Draco.

"You were the one to help him?" She asked, eyeing Hermione skeptically. Hermione nodded carefully, exchanging glances with Draco. Before she knew it, Narcissa wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. Hermione let out a breath and hugged the blonde woman back. "Thank you. You've kept him safe." She whispered into Hermione's ears. Hermione felt Draco wrap his arms around them both and it made her laugh at how comical this all must look.

"What. Is. This." A cold voice pierced the warm atmosphere and Hermione felt a chill go up her spine. She was pulled away from Draco and Narcissa by the back of her hair and a pain shot up through her head. She looked into the cold, silver eyes of Lucius Malfoy and noticed how ragged he looked. But that didn't matter, since the fury behind his eyes were what Hermione focused on.

He opened his mouth to speak but suddenly his eyes went to the back of his head and his grip on Hermione loosened. She stumbled before catching her balance and saw that Lucius had fallen to the floor. Her eyes wandered to the one who hexed him and noticed Draco breathing heavily with his wand raised.

"Don't you fucking touch her." He spat with venom at the ragged man who lay on the floor. Hermione noticed he was petrified and she found herself backing up from him and into Ron's chest.

"Hermione, are you okay?" He inquired with concern etched on his face. She nodded before feeling Draco pulling her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, love. I'll make sure no one hurts you ever again." He whispered into her ear. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her head into his chest. Finally being able to feel his warmth was all she needed at the moment.

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><p>Everyone found themselves sitting in the kitchen of the Burrow at 2 A.M. in the morning. No one spoke as they quietly ate in peace since they haven't been able to eat until this moment.<p>

"Oi, Malfoy." Fred interrupted the silence, the curious blonde giving him a look. "Thanks for today."

"Thanks? For what?" Harry asked as he swallowed the sandwich that Mrs. Weasley made him.

"Without him there I wouldn't be here right now. He pulled me away from a killing curse and then we both made the little twat dance with our hexes flying everywhere." Fred smirked at Percy and Draco.

"You promised me you would let me sample the new fireworks you guys' been working on, so I had to make sure you lived." Draco shrugged before taking another bite of his own sandwich.

He almost wanted to laugh at the situation since Hermione was sitting on one side of him and his mother was sitting on the other, but after today he couldn't.

They helped clean up Hogwarts as much as they could and he paled at remembering how many of his fellow classmates have died. Crabbe was gone and so were Remus and Tonks.

Draco remembered when they brought over little Teddy the week before. He dazzled at the fact that he had a little cousin (or was it nephew? He wasn't so sure how these family trees work). Draco watched in amazement as the young boy turned his hair from a bright shade of blue to the same platinum blonde of Draco's own hair.

The memory made him smile just a bit and his mother watched him curiously.

"What's so amusing?" She asked, picking at the sandwich in front of her. He could tell that she was uncomfortable being around all of them, but when she went to thank Mrs. Weasley for watching over her son, the plump woman insisted that they join them back for sandwiches.

"I was thinking about Andromeda's grandson." He felt her tense beside him.

"You've been talking to Andromeda?" She asked. He wasn't sure if she was angry with him or maybe she felt the loss of her sister.

"Yeah, I have. I've gotten pretty close to her actually – since I've been in hiding. She reminds me of you." Narcissa's eyes were tearing up and she sat up straight and took a deep breath to compose herself. He figured that was the end of the conversation as she picked at her food some more.

Draco felt the squeeze of Hermione's hand on his knee and he turned to look at her. Her brown eyes comforted him and the small smile on her face made his heart swell. He took her hand in his own and gave her a squeeze back.

"What now?" Ron inquired as he rubbed his newly full belly. Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry gave him a hard look. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what now'?" Charlie asked with an amused smile on his face.

"Harry, Hermione, and I spent the last year looking for and destroying Horcruxes –"

"If I remember correctly, you left me and Harry to find the Horcruxes by _ourselves_ and came back after more than two months." Hermione chided which made him sink into his chair.

"Ronald Weasley, you left your friends?" Mrs. Weasley was starting to fume.

"It's okay, mum. He stayed with Fleur and me at the cottage. Ron tried to go back the moment he left, isn't that right brother?" Bill reassured his mother, but mainly not wanting to start anything so late at night where everyone's nerves where on edge.

"Th-that's right, mum! I swear I tried going back! It was a stupid mistake and I really regret it." Mrs. Weasley gave him a beady look but chose not to comment any further.

"We'll probably have to go back and finish our seventh year." Hermione commented.

"Of course you would think of school at a time like this." Harry groaned which earned him a glare from Hermione.

"I doubt the school will be open for awhile with the condition it's in." Draco remarked thinking of the disastrous condition the great castle was in.

"He's right. It will probably take a year or so complete the repairs even with our magic." Mr. Weasley said. Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and finished her sandwich off.

"I know McGonagall was mentioning something about independence study for those who need to take their seventh year again, so that's probably going to happen." Ginny informed Hermione.

"I wonder how that's going to work." The bushy haired witch pondered but no one wanted to continue talking about school.

They ate the rest of their food as the reality of the day washed over them aggressively.

"We should all get to sleep now. Mrs. Malfoy you can stay here if you like." Mrs. Weasley offered as kindly as she could. Narcissa looked at her in shock and then turned to Draco who nodded his head.

"I-I suppose one night wouldn't h-hurt. It is a bit late…" The witch stuttered with grace. Earlier Hermione told Draco of the state of his house. He was fuming at the thought of how his bitch aunt hurt Hermione but there was nothing he could do now.

"You can stay in Bill's room. Draco stayed there while he was here, but for tonight he can share with Percy, is that fine dear?"

"Yeah, I can show you to the room if you want, mother." Draco offered, getting out of his seat to help him.

"I'll help you guys, too." Harry said, which startled everyone in the room. All eyes were on him as he looked at Draco and Narcissa.

"It's okay, Potter. I'm more than capable of getting around." Draco gave him a strange look. Harry hesitated but his eyes kept flickering over to Narcissa who just stared at the Boy Who Lived with one eyebrow raised.

"I can help." He just said making Draco shrug. Draco led the way while Narcissa and Harry followed afterwards. Bill's room wasn't very far up the stairs, which made Draco wonder why Harry came along.

"Here we are," Draco said, stopping at the second floor. The door was painted a rich blue color. "I'll be across the hall in the room with the green door. If you ever need anything don't hesitate to knock." He informed his mother. She gave him a small smile and then patted his cheek.

"Thank you, my sweet boy." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning around to turn the knob.

"Mrs. Malfoy, may I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked, surprising the witch. She looked at Draco who just shrugged before turning back to Harry.

"Yes, but only for a moment. I'm quite tired even if I'm not _that_ old." She replied before walking into the room. Harry followed after her and gave Draco a small nod before closing the door behind him.

"What the hell." Draco muttered to himself before pulling out an expendable ear from his pocket and placing it on the door. Once a Slytherin always a Slytherin, he thought with amusement to himself. He heard the bed creak, indicating that his mother sat down and he could hear the floorboards moving, which meant that Harry was pacing around.

"Mr. Potter, you're making me dizzy with all that pacing." She snided and Draco heard the movement stop suddenly.

"Please, call me Harry."

"Fine. What do you need, _Harry_?" Draco smiled at his mother's familiar cold air.

"I just want to thank you." Harry said, making Draco even more confused.

"For what?"

"You know… For saving me yesterday. For lying to Voldemort and telling him I was dead." Draco's heart pounded as he listened to the silence afterwards.

"I was just returning the favor since you informed me that Draco was fine. I didn't care what happened to that miserable fool… Just as long as I know my son was okay." She said quietly.

"You're a great mother." Harry said. Draco suddenly had a slight pang of sadness for Harry. He didn't get to grow up with a mother and Draco couldn't imagine a world without his.

"Oh, I don't know about that. There are many times when Lucius did bad things to Draco that I wish I could have stopped. But I couldn't. The life he lived is the life I grew up in. In a stern, old-fashioned family where many times you feel isolated. You feel as though you don't even have a family, you were just there to make everything look perfect. I tried to make Draco feel my love, but I don't know if I was able to…"

"You did! He knows you love him. I can see it in the way he treats you. He loves you just as much. Seeing something like that… It's great to see a-and to feel. I was able to live as a baby because of my mother's love. I can feel it in my veins and I know Draco can feel yours too." Draco heard the bed squeak again and he knew Harry must have sat down next to his mum. He smiled to himself, knowing that Harry was right.

"Oh my dear, I can't imagine the life you lived growing up without a mother." Narcissa said, kindly to Harry.

"It was hard – but, I've had many mother figures in my life. Mrs. Weasley has just been wonderful to me. And you, you protecting me was very motherly." Harry insisted.

"I-I'm glad you think I'm motherly." She said a little surprised, but she was starting to act warmly towards him. An awkward silence came over them and Draco continued to listen even if it felt a little wrong.  
>"Harry."<br>"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Please, call me Narcissa. Harry, I just want to… commend you for your bravery. You've had to deal with so much and the way you went to the Dark Lord just ready to sacrifice yourself… You are very brave. And I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. For the safety of me, my son, and even Lucius. Just… Thank you."

"Oh, umm… You're welcome I guess. It was all the work of fate, really." Harry mumbled, not sure how to deal with this unusual kindness.

"You must have had a hard time though. Was it true that you had some sort of connection to the Dark Lord?" She inquired.

"Err, yeah through my scar. It's sort of weird to think that I won't have anybody in my head anymore."

"And I bet you couldn't really talk to anyone about it." Draco could feel the frown in his mother's voice. Harry took a deep breath in and let out a sigh.

"I couldn't. I'm not going to lie – I have gotten lonely and frustrated over that fact for many years. I was thrown into this world with no previous knowledge for most of my life and then I was basically raised for slaughter… I found that out yesterday. That's the main reason I went to sacrifice myself – because it was… It was expected of me." Harry's voice cracked and Draco could hear the bed move.

"Shh… Shh… It's all going to be okay now. You've been so brave, Harry… It's okay. You can always come to me. It's okay to be a child now." Narcissa comforted the boy who had begun to cry. Draco stepped away from the door and felt guilty. He knew Harry had to deal with so much, but he didn't realize it was like _that._ To know you were supposed to die… Draco couldn't even fathom what his classmate went through.

'_Fuck, I would be crying, too.'_ Draco thought solemnly to himself.

"What are you doing?" Draco jumped and turned around quickly to find Hermione smirking at him.

"Were you spyi-" Draco clapped his hand over Hermione's mouth.

"SHH… Granger, be quiet." He said, not wanting to give his position away. He felt her lick his hand and rolled his eyes. "Childish tricks will not work on me and you know that." He smirked at her and she merely shrugged. He let his hand fall and stole a kiss from her.

"Mmm, what's that for?" She smiled as they pulled away.

"Your punishment for sneaking up on me." He smirked, before kissing her nose.

"I like getting punished..." She wrapped her arms around him and went to kiss him again…

"Ahem." Ron cleared his throat at the foot of the stairs. Hermione turned and saw the entire Weasley family minus Bill and Percy was waiting to go upstairs. Draco and Hermione went red as they pulled quickly away.

"Hermione, I didn't know you were masochistic." George smirked, resulting in getting hit by his mother.

"Don't. You remember what we talked about Hermione, dear." Mrs. Weasley gave her a look and Hermione nodded with wide eyes before saying goodnight to Draco. Ginny gave him a goofy smile as she walked past. Harry opened the door and noticed the crowd.

"What's going on?"

"Draco and Hermione were caught snogging." Ron grinned wickedly as reached them.  
>"Oh, bugger off." Draco threatened half-heartedly making Ron and the twins laugh.<p>

"You guys were snogging? Here? With your mum on the other side of the door?" Harry slowly began to smirk even though Draco could see his red eyes.

"I'm going to bed now. Goodnight." Draco sneered at Hermione's best friends before making his way to Percy's room. They all snickered as he opened the door and closed it behind himself. His cool composure fell as he noticed the warm feeling he had in him.

It felt good, he noted with a smile as he pulled the covers on the bed down. Sort of like he belonged…

Like he finally had a family.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. Just... Wow. I wasn't expecting to get so much feedback on this story and now I can totally feel the pressure! Haha, jk. It's quite nice to see that so many people want to read my fanfics! Thank you so so _so_ much.**

**I thought long and hard about it and I'm going to start posting whenever I feel the chapter is ready and enough. I don't want to rush anything and I would rather have quality over quantity. **

**Also, school makes it hard to post anything in a rush but I'm trying my hardest! I'm also planning on doing NaNoWriMo for the first time EVER so that should be fun!**

**Story notes: Fred AND Moody are alive thanks to Draco. Moody being alive is explained in the story (sorta). If there is anything that you guys don't understand, you can leave it in a review and I'll incorporate it into the story. Also, it probably won't be as smutty as the last one since I'm going more for detail between everyone's relationship... But there will still be smut! I promise!**

**I'm so excited for this story and I have many wonderful plans for it. **

**I hope you enjoy going through this journey with me, Hermione, and Draco! **

**Much love! ~SunflowerHikari**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter. At all. Which sucks. **

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><p><strong><em>Chapter<em> _Two_**

"It doesn't go in there like that."

"Yes, it goes in here… Just like I've been taught."

"Um, no. It doesn't. I would know I've done this a million times. Here, just give it to me."  
>"Screw you, Granger. I am not going to let you take over <em>my<em> thing. I was told to put it in like this and so this is how it's going to go."

"Malfoy. Give me it. Now. I'm going to put it in… The _proper_ way."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"What are you guys talking about?" Harry was a little afraid to ask the bickering couple, but they were the only ones he discovered as he came down to the kitchen. He found them both standing in the middle, holding tight to what seemed to be a piecrust.

"Draco insists that he can place the crust down and then fold the edges before putting the filling in. I'm telling him that you have to put the filling in and then you place the lattice crust on top and _then_ you fold the crust." Hermione said, tugging the delicate crust towards her body. Draco simply glared at her before turning to speak to Harry.

"Mrs. Weasley and I have cooked dozens of pies together. The magical _and_ muggle way. I've always done it this way and it works just fine!" He insisted. Harry raised his arms and took a step back.

"You don't need to convince me, mate."

"I-I wasn't trying to!" He sneered before turning his attention back to Hermione. "Granger, just let me finish the bloody pie in peace. I've gotten this far, haven't I?" He said, motioning to the filling in the large bowl on the counter. Hermione hesitated a bit before losing her guard which Draco took advantage of.

"Aha!" He said, running away from her with the crust in his hand.

"Draco Malfoy, you come back here!" She yelled after him, running after him. They didn't get very far before coming face to face with Narcissa who had a stunned expression on her face.

"Draco, what in Merlin's name are you doing?" She reprimanded which made the smile on his face fall.

"Mother, I'm baking… a pie?" He told her with unease as the witch stared at him with wide eyes.

"A pie? Bake? Why on earth would you do that?" She questioned, feeling like a stranger to her own son.

"It's for dinner." Hermione answered, trying to take some of the heat. Narcissa gave her a pointed look as if to tell her to not get involved, but Hermione didn't falter. "Molly asked us to help while she went to go check on some of the neighbors and Androm – I mean, Mrs. Tonks." She paled, almost forgetting that Narcissa and Andromeda were related. Almost.

"I see." She said, with a touch of cold.

"So, what is the Ministry going to do?" Draco asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Your father is in a holding cell over there for the time being since he has proven to be quite a threat to society along with other Death Eaters. Those on the same level as me are told to not leave the country since we will get a court date soon enough. I'm just worried about where I'm going to live now that the Manor has been quarantined." She scowled.

"You can live with me." A voice came from the end the hallway. The three of them turned to look at Harry who had just spoken.

"I thought you were going to stay here?" Draco asked, puzzled.

"I just stayed here last night since I haven't actually been to the place in awhile. But it used to be Sirius's home until he died. I can't stay at the Burrow forever and that is my rightful home, I just need to clean it up a bit…"

"I will take you up on your offer as long as Draco gets to come with me." Narcissa spoke, breaking off Harry from his trail of thought.

"Yeah, there's plenty of room. Hermione can come live with me, too." Harry suggested making Hermione smile and going over to her friend to hug him.

"Oh, thank you so much, Harry! This means so much to me."

"As long as they don't share a room, I'm fine with it." Narcissa replied. "I haven't been to the Black house in ages from what I recall. It will be nice to see it once again. Draco, I'll have to show you the family tapestry. You wouldn't have remembered seeing it since you were only two when we last went there."

"Is it similar to the one we have at the Manor?"

"Somewhat, although it's _my_ side of the family and I feel it is much better since it's not full of so much… testosterone." She commented drily. Draco had to smirk at that, knowing she was completely right.

The four of them heard the front door open, which soon followed with a slight gasp and the soft whimpering of a baby. They turned to look who had just entered and Narcissa went tense at the sight of her older sister.

"I didn't realize you were going to be here." Andromeda commented, holding tightly to the baby wrapped in blankets against her chest.

"I didn't realize you were coming." Narcissa replied tersely.

"Aunt Andromeda, it's wonderful to see you." Draco said going up to his aunt and giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It's good to see you too, Draco." She smiled at him, with a sad look in her eyes. He could tell she's been crying.

"I brought both of them over for dinner," Mrs. Weasley said from behind Andromeda. "I hope no one minds." She looked warily at Narcissa.

"It's your home, you may invite whomever you wish." She said before turning around and walked past Hermione and Harry before leaving the crowded hallway. Draco made a fist and was turning to go chase after his mother before getting a brilliant idea.

"May I hold Teddy for a bit?" He asked Andromeda who just nodded and carefully passed over the little bundle.

"He looks so much like his mum." She whimpered as she looked at him, before tears began falling down her face.

Hermione went to hug her and Draco secured the bundle in his arm before giving his aunt a reassuring pat. He turned around to go look for his mother and Mrs. Weasley went up to Harry.

"How are you doing, dear? I see you've finally woken up." She smiled tiredly at him.

"Yeah, I guess killing a Dark Lord really tires you out." Harry lamely joked. "I should probably go to the Ministry and see if Moody can help look over the house."

"I'll go with you." Hermione offered, using her wand to retrieve her purse.

"Are you going to live in Grimmauld?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes, I can't live in the Burrow forever no matter how fond of Ron's room I am." Harry joked.

"We would be more than happy to let you." Mrs. Weasley replied back and smiled at him before making her way into the kitchen.

"Ready?" Harry asked Hermione who simply nodded. They both took the floo to the ministry and once they found themselves in the Atrium, they encountered madness.

"I guess having a war makes everyone have to deal with a bunch of paperwork." Harry commented as they made their way to the lift.

"I hope not everyone is busy." Hermione fretted.

"Why is that?"

"I want to ask Kingsley to help me with my parents. Just because I tampered with their memories doesn't mean I'm confident enough to repair them. Plus, Australia is a big place." Hermione frowned as she squished between Harry and a big man in the lift.

"You'll get them back. Don't worry."

She smiled at him. Many people said their thanks to Harry who was having a hard time trying to shake everyone's hands before the lift opened to reveal Mad-Eye Moody.

"Potter. Granger. I was expecting you." Moody turned around as Harry and Hermione looked at each other with puzzled expressions. They followed after him, trying to match his pace before he opened an office to let them inside.

"How were you expe –"

"I know you want to discharm Grimmauld Place. I put it up for a damn good reason and now there's no reason to have it up anymore. I've been wanting to talk to you both though." He looked at both of them with his magical eye before shutting the door with his hand. "Why are you still standing? Sit!"

Hermione and Harry plumped their bottoms on the chairs that appeared behind them and waited nervously for Moody to speak.

"You guys can both take the time to think this over, but I would prefer an answer sooner before later…" His magical eye took a moment to look around. "Where are Malfoy and Weasley?"

"Oh – Ron is helping Fred and George with the shop and Malfoy is with his mother." Answered Hermione. Moody nodded and continued on speaking.

"Yes, well this goes out to them too. Especially Malfoy, since without him I would be dead. He casted some great spells the night we transferred you from your old house, Harry."

"I'm sorry, but what do you want us to do?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Auror Academy starts up in a month. I want all four of you to join. What do you say?" Moody propped his head on his folded hands and rested on his elbows. His eye moved between the both of them who had their mouths open.

"I-I would love to." Harry spoke who got a stern look from Hermione.

"What about school?" She asked, but got a reply from Moody.

"Many of the students who fought in the war won't have to repeat their 7th year since they've proven that they can survive in a situation as crucial and life threatening as that. You can continue on to work for the Ministry if you would like, Miss Granger but, we would be happy to have you."

"This is all so sudden… I need some time to think about it." She replied and Moody nodded in assurance.

"Just don't take too much time. Deadlines for the Academy are in two weeks."

"How long is the Academy, anyways?" Harry asked feeling excitement creep through his skin.

"About six months then you go through a probation period of a year and a half. It's a very crucial and difficult six months, but I'm sure they'll be easy for you, Potter." Moody winked which made Harry grin. "Don't forget to tell Weasley and Malfoy."

"Does this mean that Draco won't have any charges against him?" asked Hermione.

"Why should he? He's helped the light side for the past year." Moody replied.

"He's just been worried about it, that's all."

"His parents on the other hand… That's a different story." He gave her a look that made her uncomfortable.

"Speaking of parents… Where is Kingsley?" Harry asked.

"He's meeting with the department heads at the moment, but I'll have him visit the Burrow tonight. I assume you want to ask about how to get your parents back?" He directed at Hermione, who nodded. "It'll be tricky finding them, but restoring their memories won't be as big of an issue."

Hermione sighed. "Thank you, Moody. That's very reassuring."

"How are you doin', Harry?" Moody asked, gazing at the young wizard.

"I'm honestly very tired and boggled by everything. It's unreal that it's just… over." Harry scrunched his eyebrows and Moody simply nodded.

"I've encountered the same thing when I was an Auror. I would work on cases for months – some of them for years – but once I caught the crook, I didn't know what to do with my time. Cleaning up Grimmauld and going to the Academy should help keep you busy, that's for sure."

"Yeah, do you think you can meet me there tomorrow? I want to move in as soon as possible." Harry asked.

"Sure can do. Let's meet there around 10?" Moody asked.

"Sounds great." Harry said before him and Hermione left to go back to the Burrow after saying their goodbyes.

"Mother, please open up." Draco called through the door as he held Teddy close to him. He was sleeping soundly and a wash of sadness came over him as he realized his hair was a bright pink.

The door opened and Narcissa looked at Draco with a weary look until she noticed he was holding a baby.

"Who's this?" She asked, her eyes sparkling just a bit.

"Your great nephew." Draco smiled and Narcissa's eyes opened.

"Nymphadora had a baby?"

"Just last month."

"I didn't even know." She frowned.

"Would you like to hold him?" He handed her the bundle before walking into the room. He watched her as she looked at the baby with a gleam in her eye and she began to gently rock him.

"He's lucky to be born a Metamorphmagus. Oh look, he has the Black nose." She said, full of pride, making Draco smile at her.

"You have to talk to her." He said, sitting down on the neatly made bed.

"Talk to whom?"

"Mother…"

"Draco, it's been so long-"

"Then end it before it gets longer! My family is so messed up. We need to mend it. You guys could have died before speaking to each other ever again. Would you have wanted that? To know that whatever happened between you both was unresolved." Draco glared into Narcissa's cool light blue eyes and she glared back at him.

"You're just a child, you wouldn't understand." She sneered. "Andromeda purposefully left _our_ household for some _guy_. She left me, her sister, for a man. I talked to her every single day of my life and then one day I found out she left. No goodbye, no nothing. My mother just said she was an abolishment and she never spoke a word of her again." Narcissa was flaring now, which was stirring up young Teddy and Draco felt himself grow uncomfortable at his mother revealing her true feelings about Andromeda. "Imagine coming back from Hogwarts and your favorite sister vanished. How am I supposed to forgive her for doing something like that?"

"I-I didn't kno-"

"No. Of course you didn't. You were ignorant to believe that I hated her for marrying a muggleborn. I hated her for leaving and shutting me out of her life." Narcissa whispered harshly, trying not to wake the baby up.

"I'm sorry, mother." Draco whispered in return. He wasn't sure what to do now, but he supposed that having his mother make the first move was the bad decision. He would have to take the Andromeda approach.

"Do you think if we drop our spoons, it would echo?" Fred asked George.

"We might as well try all our silverware and see which one would make the loudest noise." George replied.

"You boys drop anything and I'll make you do all the dishes without magic." Mrs. Weasley scolded them and they sniggered in reply.

Dinner was, to be frank, going as awkward as anyone could imagine. Andromeda was at the end of the table, sniffling in between bites. Narcissa was at the other end and she looked as though she was under the Imperius Curse. Ginny was handling Teddy and was gushing over how adorable he was while she kept mentioning how she would love to have a baby which was making both Harry and Mr. Weasley uncomfortable. Hermione and Draco kept looking at each other with an obvious sexual tension, which was making Percy, Ron, and Charlie uncomfortable. And Mrs. Weasley was smile at her full household.

Suddenly, the front door opened to a familiar figure.

"I hope I didn't miss out on the pie?" Kingsley asked in his deep voice.

"Minister Shacklebolt! What a nice surprise, come and sit down." Mrs. Weasley got up to bring a chair over for him, crowding the already crowded dining room.

"You don't have to call me Minister, Molly. You can continue on calling me Kingsley."

"Oh, but Minister Shacklebolt sounds way cooler than plain ol' Kingsley." Ron joked, making Kingsley chuckle.

"How is being Minister going?" Hermione asked.

"It's hectic, that's for sure." Kingsley sighed as he filled his plate up with food. "I heard you wanted to ask me a question?"

"Yes, but we can talk later. You should eat first." Hermione urged and he gave her a warm smile.

Hermione and Harry told Ron and Draco about what Moody had said earlier and Ron was willing to start then and there but Draco hesitated.

"What if I'm not good enough or what if people don't like me?" He confessed to Hermione earlier when were alone in the living room – which was quite a rare moment.

"You sound like a kid starting their first day of school." She joked, which resulted in him giving her a stern look. "Look, you have the skills and the smarts. I don't see why you wouldn't do it."

"I just never thought about it. I was expecting to follow my father in the family business."

"You have a family business?" Hermione asked. She felt a little dumb that she didn't know much about it.

"Yeah, it's an apothecary. It's quite old and our products are quite expensive. Not like the common apothecary you see in Diagon Alley, but the kind you would see in a black market." He smirked at her expression.

"No wonder I haven't heard of it. Do you want to do that?" Hermione intertwined her fingers in his and rubbed her thumb against his palm.

"I'll have to think about it. I actually do like the apothecary but I also like the idea of becoming an Auror."

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure of it." She smiled at him and he looked around before leaning forward and placing a kiss on her lips.

"What about you?" He asked, pulling away a little to suddenly for Hermione's taste. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I wasn't expecting to become an Auror. I wanted to actually work in the Department for Regulation and Control of Animals." She confessed and that made Draco laugh. "What?"

"You know, house elves really do like serving others. It makes them happy." He said making her flush.

"It's not just about the house elves, Draco. It's about how some of these creatures are being treated in wrongful ways! Like, werewolves or goblins or pixies-"

"Okay, okay. I get it. You're very cute when you're passionate about magical creatures." He smirked making her stick her tongue out at him.

"I just want to do more than fight dark wizards. I'm tired of fighting them, actually. I want to know more of the magical world."

"You have the brains to deal with them, though. That's what Moody loves about you, I'm sure of it." He reassured her.

"I'll think about it more." She said before kissing his cheek and getting up to help finish dinner.

Which was turning out much better now that Kingsley was there. Everyone was asking him questions, except Narcissa and Andromeda.

"I spent all of today creating a team of witches and wizards to help rebuild Hogwarts over the summer. I want it to be ready by September 1st, even if the damages are tremendous." Kingsley informed them which made Ginny groan.

"So, I'm the only one who has to go back to school?"

"You'll have Luna." Harry told her but that didn't stop her from complaining even more.

"Luna is great, but she's only one of my friends. Why can't they redo their seventh year?" She asked Kingsley who was just chuckling.

"Most of the students have proven their skills in the war. Also, you have to think of all the pain and suffering most of them have encountered. And then there are those who are going to be arrested for causing most of that pain and suffering…"

"_Fine,_ I understand." Ginny mumbled.

"Will there be some type of counseling session for those who are experiencing trauma from the war?" Percy asked.

"Yes, the owls will be sent out tomorrow morning. That was another thing I had to make sure got done. I have about twenty healers who will come in the next few weeks and help."

"When will you hold services?" Andromeda's voice rang clear across the table and everyone stopped in silence. For a moment everyone almost forgot a war had just happened the day before.

"We plan on holding a memorial at the end of the month. I'm having a fountain place at Hogwarts to commemorate those who have fallen. Their names will be etched along the basin of the fountain." Kingsley answered her and she simply nodded.

The mood became sullen and Draco cleared his throat to talk.

"I made some pie if anyone wants some." Everyone was suddenly finished with dinner and stood up to go get pie from the kitchen. Everyone except Andromeda, Hermione noticed. She pulled Harry back and nodded in her direction and Harry gave her a silent knowing look.

"Andromeda… Would you like some pie?" Harry asked the older witch who simply shook her head. Tears were falling down her face and she suddenly broke out into a sob.

"I miss them, Harry. How am I supposed to raise Teddy this way? Without h-his mum and dad and his gra-grandfather?" She sobbed out and Harry went to wrap his arms around her.

"You don't have to do it alone." He told her as Hermione went to go to the other side of her. "Especially since I'm his godfather. Actually, why don't you guys come and move in with me in Grimmauld Place?" He asked, ignoring Hermione's warning glare. "It would be better than raising him by yourself. He'll have many people to help him."

Andromeda sniffled and wiped her nose with her handkerchief as she looked at Harry with hopeful eyes. "I would like to take you up on that offer."

"_Harry_." Hermione gritted through her teeth.

"Erm… Hermione and Draco and Narcissa will be staying at the house, too." He said, hesitantly.

"Oh." Andromeda said, clutching the handkerchief tightly. "Well, I can't let something silly between me and Cissy – I mean, Narcissa – to effect Teddy's upbringing." She said with finality. Harry looked smugly at Hermione who just rolled her eyes.

"Now you just have to tell Narcissa." Hermione pointed out.

"Tell me what?" Narcissa said as she came in carrying pie.

"I hope you don't mind, but I just invited Andromeda and Teddy to live with me." Harry said, making her tense up. "We're all going through a hard time so I figured we could all use each other for support."

"Fine, I will be getting my own room, one that is far away from that baby. I don't want to be around constant crying." She turned up her nose as she sat at the table. Hermione was shocked that she was still going to live at Grimmauld and it appeared Harry was as well.

"Yes, of course. There are plenty of rooms." He insisted before looking between the two sisters who refused to look at each other. "See," he whispered insistently to Hermione. "This is going to work out."

"You say that now." She chided before turning towards the kitchen to get some pie. Hermione found herself next to Kingsley who greeted her with a plate of pie.

"You want to get your parents back, is that right?" Kingsley asked her.

"Yes… Do you think Aurors could help with that?"

"I believe I can make it happen. Would you go with them?" Kingsley asked and Hermione nodded.

"Yes, I want to be there. I want to see how they are without me first… Just to be sure." Hermione spoke with sadness in her voice. Kingsley comforted her by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"You did the right thing. We'll get them back." He comforted her and she gave him a smile.

"That makes me happy." Hermione told him before taking a bite of her pie that Draco made. The pie and Draco also made her happy, she mused to herself. It was a nice change from the last few years, she thought to herself as she gave Draco thumbs up for the pie. He smiled widely at her and Hermione felt her chest clench with warmth.

It was a very nice change.

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><p><strong>AN: Don't forget to leave reviews, they actually help a TON! xoxoxo**


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